I was a Cub through to being a Venture Scout (the highest age range in the UK - or it was until recently). It’s seen as a bit geekish, yes, but those who see it that way are (IMO) boring bastards, doing the same things with the same people in the same places every day of the week.
I did all sorts of things, met all sorts of people and went all sorts of places with the Scouts that I wouldn’t (couldn’t) have done by myself - kayaking, diving, caving, abseiling, archery, sailing, shooting, camping in Canada etc.
It really all depends on the troop/unit you end up in and how much effort you put in.
This question simply does not compute. Scouts are the anti-geeks. They’re the ones that are outdoors doing social stuff together while the geeks sit indoors alone.
I was a Cub Scout in the 1960s, and then left scouting for a while. I rejoined as an Explorer Scout in the 70s, back when Explorers was still a part of BSA. Both times, it was clear that geeks just weren’t interested in hiking, climbing, athletics, leadership conferences, and so forth. Although there were computer and gaming types in scouting (including me), pretty much everybody was outdoorsy and social - two qualities that preclude one from being a geek.
I simply don’t understand the question. Does everyone else have a different view of scouts than I do?
Here is an excerpt from Scott Miller’s website. Scott was a founding member of the V-Roys, and currently plays with Scott Miller and the Commonwealth. He’s a hard rocker, a brilliant songwriter, and about as far from “geek” as they come. His take on Scouting:
Well, you see it differently than the BSA. They see it as belief in God.
And because of that clause, and the Scout Oath, they forbid atheists from joining, either as the scouts, or as volunteers. I am not allowed to be an assistant den leader for my son who’s a Webelo.
My son is an Eagle Scout. He was a starter on the football team, in his class’ top 20 students and was elected Prince of Personality in his senior class in high school (that’s some kind of popularity title, I’m not sure of the actual qualifications )
He’s now a SSgt. in the U. S. Air Force. Scouting was great for him. His father also became an associate scout leader and they went to Philmont together on a High Adventure trip. I was his Cub Master (hence the name) and I’ve never regretted a minute of the time we all spent on Scouting. Give it a try.
Typically, from what I"ve seen, Scouts make Eagle during their freshman year in college. It seems to me like a goal worth aspiring to, for what it’s worth.
Two or three guys in my dorm-suite (out of 10), during my frosh year, had to go home for their Eagle ceremonies, and nobody thought they were geeks.
(Though to be honest, we were known as a fairly geeky school to begin with.)
Shhhh…don’t tell anyone, but I know plenty of gay youth who have been successful scouts. Some were low key, some were not (not that they stood up during the Order of the Arrow ceremony and declared their sexuality, but they did not spend too much energy trying to make themselves act stereotypically straight). I helped one of these guys with his Eagle. I’ve known some tough and conservative ol’ bastard scout leaders, and I never heard any of them make any negative comments about the gay scouts. And again, I live in Texas.
Well, I am (was? Or is Scouting like the Marines?) an Eagle Scout, an avowed athiest at the time, and, ok, I’m a geek. My troop was admittedly a little laid-back, though; our scoutmaster was an aging Jewish hippie and I was the chaplain for a while; I wanted the big-ass badge to stick on my sleeve, nobody else wanted the position, and I think we all enjoyed the irony.
We always considered “reverent” being the same as respecting other peoples’ beliefs, and not necessarily having to follow any particular faith. Likewise, the leaders didn’t seem to have a beef with pointedly not saying “to God” during the Scout Oath every meeting. So, what I’m trying to say here is that individual troops can vary a bit from the popular opinion of Scouting in general.
Looking back on it, there were a lot of times that I would rather be anywhere else but at the Scout meetings (homework, TV time), but I definitely think it had a positive influence on me.
There are three ages/phases of boys in Scouting. The youngest ones who just entered the troop (ages 11 to 13 or so) are gung-ho and go to all of the events. They often have nothing else to do on weekends or in the summer.
Next are the middle-school and early high school ages, 13 to 16. They CRAVE fitting in with the cool kids, and often develop in their minds that Scouting isn’t cool (meetings? uniforms? off in the woods instead of being in front of a TV or video game?). This is where lots of Scouts drop out (plus due to being involved in other activities like sports).
After they get through that phase, the older Scouts realize the adventure they’re experiencing, the freedom they have to run their own camping and other experiences, and their roles as big-brother to the new Scouts. Then it becomes cool again. And they realize it doesn’t matter what their friends think, although after awhile they realize their friends also think that what they’re doing in Scouting is actually pretty cool: weekends without their parents, hanging out with each other, real service projects, earning Eagle Scout.
You have to decide which phase your 13-year old is in and if you can help see him to that final phase.
Well, I’ll ask the guy about it and see what he thinks. I think that he is starting to see his dad as being cool, which at age thirteen may be some sort of a record.
If “Bubbaville” is, well, good old fashioned Bubbaville, I’d recommend Troop 448. At least, it was awesome when I was in it 15 years ago.
Growing up in Austin, I got some guff for being in Boy Scouts in middle school, but I was already seen as a socially backward geek anyway, and usually it was just for wearing my uniform shorts to class (Mom insisted – it would “save time” on meeting night). By 8th grade, it wasn’t an issue, and in high school it was fairly well received if it came up, but I earned my Eagle at the start of 9th grade, and dropped off my involvement in scouts in favor of other things. Scouting turned out to be a social positive at the University of Texas.
I worry that 13 is a tad old to be starting scouts – he’ll be doing a lot of things with 10 and 11 year olds until he reaches First Class. My experience was that most scouts wind down their involvement at around 14, and disappear entirely by 16.
Yep, I’m in the same Bubbaville that John Kelso made famous.
It looks like my son isn’t joining. I asked him about it tonight and he said that he wasn’t interested. That said, a friend in BSA gave a standing offer tonight for him to go on a campout. I won’t push him, but it’s there if he wants.
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